Exploring the Role of Academic Development in Supporting Tertiary Educators’ Well-Being: The Case of Online Consultations at UniSA

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5204/ssj.2782

Keywords:

academic development, educator wellbeing, online consultations

Abstract

In this practice report, we posit that academic development encompasses more than improving and developing courses; it offers a space for tertiary educators to develop professionally, personally, and improve their well-being. The report is focussed on an initiative of a Teaching Innovation Unit to offer individual consultations to tertiary educators as a way of supporting well-being while building professional knowledge and capacity. Preliminary findings based on evaluation data suggest that the consultations were indeed a valued resource for educators. Moving forward, we propose that our assertion of the value of the consultations can be tested by applying well-being models and frameworks, such as Ryff and Keyes’ (1995) scale and Wheatley’s (2022) workplace well-being framework.

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Author Biographies

Antonella Strambi, University of South Australia; Flinders University

After a long experience as a lecturer and researcher in languages and applied linguistics, Antonella joined the academic development team in the Teaching Innovation Unit in 2018, bringing her passion for innovation in curriculum design to her new role. Her interests and expertise are primarily in the areas of: socio-emotional learning; the role of emotion communication, humour, and self-disclosure in rapport building; student and staff well-being; and text analytics. 

James E Hobson, University of South Australia

James’ early career in online learning was in the UK assessments sector during the introduction of a range of online assessment tools. He joined the Teaching Innovation Unit in 2018, bringing a wide range of technical skills and a passion for innovative solutions, as well as research skills in evaluating the effectiveness of learning programs. He is involved in research that explores how to continually develop education across the University, as well as continuing to explore new technologies that can benefit learners and educators alike.

Katherine Baldock, University of South Australia

Katherine is a leader in higher education and academic practice. She leads strategic approaches to academic development, including reimagining structural and cultural facilitators, to support the transformative education of graduates who are socially just, anti-racist, culturally responsive and who will contribute to creating a better world. Importantly, she provides collaborative, strategic leadership to the institution-wide transformative work in developing culturally capable academic staff, decolonising higher education curricula and pedagogies, and engaging with First Nations ways of knowing, being and doing in teaching and learning.

Amanda Janssen, University of South Australia

Amanda is a higher education professional and academic integrity expert with significant experience in planning and executing academic integrity strategies. She joined the Teaching Innovation Unit in 2021. While her primary area of expertise is academic integrity, her research interests include ways assessment design supports students and educators to improve teaching and learning practices.

Special Issue: Educator Wellbeing in Higher Education. Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

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Published

2023-12-11

How to Cite

Strambi, A., Hobson, J. E., Baldock, K., & Janssen, A. (2023). Exploring the Role of Academic Development in Supporting Tertiary Educators’ Well-Being: The Case of Online Consultations at UniSA. Student Success, 14(3), 128–135. https://doi.org/10.5204/ssj.2782

Issue

Vol. 14 No. 3 (2023): Special Issue: Educator Wellbeing in Higher Education

Section

Practice Reports

License

Copyright (c) 2023 Antonella Strambi, James E Hobson, Katherine Baldock, Amanda Janssen

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors retain copyright and grant the Journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution International Licence (CC BY 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.